Weekly Report - 04 April 2019 (WR-19-13)

VENEZUELA: Maduro puts squeeze on Guaidó

Venezuela’s government led by Nicolás Maduro tested the waters this week with two moves which in theory end the political future of Juan Guaidó. In practice both will be irrelevant if Maduro is dislodged. The comptroller general’s office struck first, barring the widely recognised interim president from holding any public post for the next 15 years; the supreme court (TSJ) followed suit, urging the government-controlled constituent assembly (ANC) to stripGuaidó of his legislative immunity from prosecution, a request that was duly rubberstamped by ANC delegates.